Henri Chauvet
Boudes - Auvergne
In the spring of 2021 Henri Chauvet settled in the village of Boudes in Auvergne purchasing 10.5 hectares of vines from a local winemaker. Henri, a relatively new arrival to the world of wine, had spent a few years working with winemakers predominantly in the Rhône valley and notably Thierry Allemand in Cornas.
Boudes, to the south of Issoire, is one of the better known winemaking towns in the Auvergne, a region that is generally little known. The climate and soils around the village have a reputation for producing some of the most expressive Gamays, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of the region. The soils are quite distinct from vineyards only slightly further north; the village still benefits from the volcanic elements common here but there is a predominance of iron oxide rich clay and quartz. Henri's vineyards are split between this red clay and also parcels with more profoundly volcanic, basalt soils. This complexity of terroir is what drew Henri to the area. He is a serious man and determined to make wines that are true to the soils the grapes are grown on.
2021 was Henri's first vintage and his goal was to discover what the different terroirs could give him. He made 10 different wines and all are fascinating. This is the beginning and it is a very promising one.
